St. Landry democrat., 1887-10-22
ICOpyrtghted. 1871

the balmy breeze, so different from the
keen north wind that spreads the mist
over my native country of Holland, when
tramp came along. The word tramp
is, believe, an Americanism, plain but
to the point, as Americansms are wont
to be. On perceiving me ne approached
the house, opened the gate with little
ceremony, wished me a good evening and
said he wanted some money to pay the
railroad fare to the nearest city.
He being the fifth specimen of
his kind who had importuned me
within two hours, saw fit to refuse his
request, whereupon he called me some
thing ugly, expectorated on the steps by
way of showing his disgust, and stalked
off. As he carried big club, | refrained
from noticing his coarse remarks, and,
with great forbearance, allowed him to
leave unmolested, which he did, slam
ming the gate somewhat harder than
necessary to shut it. Nothing remark
able in this, is there? No, but there is some
thing remarkable in the fact that such
things happen so frequently in this
country.
Iramps are far more numerous in
America than in any of the Atlantic and
middle states of Europe. The cause is
easily given. In Europe the farm houses
are not scattered over large areas of land,
but are mostly joined in villages. The
close proximity of neighbors and the pa
ternal supervision of the government
give the people so strong sense of secu-
rity that frearm of any description is
rarely or never found in the house of a
European farmer. This paternal super
vision is exercised by the numerous
gendarmes and soldiers, who are con-
stantly patrolling the highways and the
fields; and so kind and consderate are
these functionaries in the performance of
their duties that the big man" with
whom the nurses scare the children
into obedience is always supposed
to wear a uniform. These gendarmes
are energetic in bullying little boys tres
passing on field; they are marvelously
quick in pursuing decrepit woman
detected at gathering tirewood in some
royal forest; they are amazingly cunning
In avoiding a meeting with well-armed
poacher, but, above all, they excel in
handling tramps. While in this country
the people are allowed to take care of
themselves-and Americans are very
well able to do so-in Europe the gov
ernments take care of the subjects, or at
least they profess to. Laws are not
wanting, and the measures taken against
vagabondage alone ought to be able to
make the country perfect haven of
safety and quiet, which somehow or
other they fail to 10.
In Holland, whenever a tramp of for
eign nationality is caught, German or
Belgian, for instance, he is straightway
ushered over the frontier back into his
own country, whence, Holland being
rich land, he returns Immediately only to
be caught and shipped off again at public
expense. 1t is no rare sight to behold
canal-boat filled from bow to stern with
a host of yagabonds underthe supervis-
ion Of squad of officers. In Germany
vagabonds are still more summarily dealt
with; they are locked up in workhouse,
where they work for the government and
oge fed by the public. In some provinces,
the former kingdom of Hanover, for in
stance, they 60 by the pet name of Son.
aaen6ruder, which means: brothers of
the Sun"
In country of the extent of the
UnitedsStates patrol service like that
in vogue in European states would be
impossible, unless every other citizen be
made constable. I confess / would
much rather meet with ten vagabonds
every day than to see the country filled
with host of tax-increasing, uniformed
jacks-in-ofice. You are fond of fishing.
You take your piscatorial outfit and be-
take yourself to some pond or brook, in
the hope of enjoying quiet day and of
catching your own dinner. Scarcely
have you sat down, but at the very in
slant fat bass approaches the hook, a
gruff voice startles you from behind ::
Halt! Pooh-bah What're you doing
here? Where's your permit?" You
start up, drop your fishing rod, search
your pockets, but the permit is not
there. Probably you have left it at
home, for which offense you are ma arched
off to a magistrate to answer the
charge of fishing in a royal duck-pond |
without having license in your pocket.
Perhaps you live in a town in one of
those diminutive German princedoms.
Your physician has recommended your
taking daily walk in the country. You
are on your way home from little stroll,
enjoying the scenery and the prospects
OF a comfortable supper; but, being
rather behind time, you leave the high
way and take short cut across country.
Halt! A dignitary in blue uniform
stands before as If he had risen out of
the ground, and will trouble you to tell
him your name, your residence, your
business, and to show him, if you have
no passport, any letter or card you hap
pen to have in your pocketbook by way
L